Dr Abdullah Hakim Quick is a historian, social activist and religious leader of African and Native American descent. He has travelled to over 58 countries doing research and delivering lectures to various communities. His qualification in Islamic Studies comes from a BA from the Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia and his history background is shaped by an MA and PhD from the History Department of the University of Toronto, Canada.

Dr Quick has served as a special advisor to the Toronto Board of Education, the Ontario Science Centre and the Royal Ontario Museum as well as a regular columnist in the religion page of one of Canada’s leading daily newspapers, The Toronto Star. He has initiated and developed special classes for the hearing impaired of Canada and the underprivileged of Southern Africa. He has been a guest lecturer at York University (Toronto), McGill University, the University of the Western Cape (South Africa) in the Departments of History, Women’s Studies, Geography and Middle-East Islamic Studies and African Studies as well as member of the Chaplains Association of the University of Toronto. He has also developed and facilitated workshops and training sessions for diverse organizations such as Children’s Aid Society, Metropolitan Toronto School Boards, Family Service Association of Metro Toronto, Canadian Museums Association, Canadian Institute for International Affairs, the Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministries, Elementary Teachers Association of York Region, Metro Toronto School for the Deaf, the Scarborough Public Library Board, and Al Wagah, Muslim Deaf Society of Cape Town.

For over ten years, Dr Quick was Director of the Islamic Social Services and Resources Association, one of Canada’s first recognized Islamic social service agencies. There he counseled hundreds people from all walks of life and various religions and developed one of Canada’s first Muslim food banks. He has often spoken out against “gay bashing” and vigilantism

He has participated in interviews as an expert on African History and Islamic issues with major Canadian, Caribbean and South African media organizations, such as CBC TV, City TV, CFRB, Channel 47 (Canada) and the SABC, 702 Cape Talk, Voice of the Cape, Radio 786, Channel Islam, Radio Ansar (Durban, South Africa).

He has a number of scholarly presentations and publications but his recent focus has been on documentary films such as Timbuktu, the Empire of Knowledge, Untold Ethiopia and Reflections from the Western Sunrise (Quick Answers) that all aired on national television in South Africa.

Presently, Dr Abdullah is the Director of the Discover Islam Centre of Cape Town , South Africa and a special advisor to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain. (Source: http://www.hakimquick.com/about-2/biography)

Sheikh Abdullah Idris Ali, public speaker and fund-raiser, served as ISNA President from 1992-1997. He co-organized the Canadian Islamic Banking Conferences for 1996 and 1997. Sh. Ali serves as a member on the Board of Trustees for the Islamic Teaching Center (ITC) and North American Islamic Trust. He is currently the Director of Universal Foundation Inc., an organization that accredits Islamic schools in cooperation with National non public schools accreditation system.He is also a founding member of IBERR ( intl. board of educational research and resources ) along with Yusuf Islam.

As an ISNA School principal, Sh. Ali developed and implemented Islamic and Arabic Studies curricula for elementary and junior high students. He has written various articles in Islamic Horizons, is a member of the ATP Editorial Board, and also serves on the board of Islamic Dow Jones index. Abdalla Idris Ali is a native of the Sudan and currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife. He recently became a grandfather as his daughter gave birth to a beautiful daughter in April of 2008.